What is Choose and Book?
Choose and Book is a national service that will, for the first time, combine electronic booking and a choice of time, date and place for first outpatient appointment. It will be available to all patients in England requiring elective care (over 10 million each year).

Patients needing elective treatment will be offered a choice of at least four providers once their GP has decided that a referral is required. These providers could be NHS trusts, foundation trusts, treatment centres, private hospitals or practitioners with a special interest operating within primary care.

As well as choosing where they go, patients will be able to choose when they go by phoning an appointments line, booking over the internet, or booking at the GP surgery.

In the meantime, all patients waiting longer than six months for an operation are offered a choice of an alternative place of treatment. This is called 'choice at six months'.

You will be able to choose the date and time of your appointment by using the NHS Choose and Book website.

The system has been designed to be easy for anyone to use but if you don't have access to the Internet an alternative telephone service is available.

Choose and Book is a new service that allows you to choose your hospital or clinic and book an appointment with a specialist.

Since summer 2004, Choose and Book has been introduced across England.

From 1 January 2006, when you and your GP agree that you need to see a specialist, you will be able to choose from at least four hospitals or clinics.

You will also be able to choose the date and time of your appointment.